Body of Michael Fowler recovered from Jonathan Creek

A the body of a man who went missing after jumping in Jonathan Creek after a police chase Friday morning has been found.

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The body of a man who jumped into Jonathan Creek early Friday morning has been recovered. Search and rescue teams searched for a total of approximately 24 hours before the Franklin County man was located.(Photo11: Chris Crook/Times Recorder)Buy Photo

ZANESVILLE - Authorites have recovered the body of a man who jumped into Jonathan Creek early Friday morning.

According to South Zanesville Fire Chief Russell Taylor, Michael A. Fowler, 43, of Westerville, was recovered shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday. His body was recovered about 20 yards from where authorities saw him enter the water in the wee hours of Friday morning.

At about 2:30 a.m. Friday, law enforcement with the Muskingum County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene of a vehicle accident on Grant Cliff Road, according to Sheriff Matt Lutz. Fowler fled the scene of the crash, and officers pursued him on foot until he jumped into the creek from the bank around the bridge at Grant Cliff Road and Ohio 555.

Authorities searched the area throughout the early morning attempting to located Fowler, who officers saw go under water and never resurface.

At approximately 8:30 a.m., Friday, the search turned from a rescue to a recovery mission. Firefighters and officials from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources searched for the man by boat until late Saturday afternoon.

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Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Firefighters and Ohio Department of Natural Rescources officers spent much of Friday searching for a man who jumped in Jonathan Creek after a police chase early Friday morning. Officals did not believe the man survived swimming in the frigid waters, but were unable to locate a body as of Friday afternoon. The search was expected to resume on Sunday. Chris Crook/Times Recorder

Taylor said he received a call at about 10 p.m., Friday from a search and rescue team who offered to search for the man.

"It's a ministry search and rescue team from around the whole state that was totally free to our community," Taylor said. "They ask to come down so we let them come down."

The Muskingum County Sheriff's Office, South Zanesville Fire Department, ODNR, search and rescue teams and the man's family were on the scene at noon Saturday when the search resumed.

"There was family here since we began searching (Saturday) morning, waiting and hoping for the best," Taylor said. "But you could tell they knew (he was dead) because they hadn't heard from him. Now they have closure and they all thanked us for all the hard work we done and everybody that was involved in this search and rescue."

According to Taylor the water temperature was around 33 degrees, with about three quarters of an inch of ice covering the water when they arrived Saturday.

"It took about an hour for the ice to break through in order for us to get where we needed to go," Taylor said.

The search and rescue team that came in were able map the bottom of the creek with sonars.

"Once they analyzed it in their computer system, it gave them a target area," Taylor said. "They went back out and they actually pinpointed and targeted exactly where he was within five minutes after getting in the water."

Taylor thanked all of the people involved in the rescue and recovery efforts, which continued for a total of about 24 hours in temperatures at or below freezing.

Lutz said the Muskingum County Coroner's office has ordered an autopsy and the investigation is continuing.